Tourniquet

Summary:
Bella ran into Victoria when Edward left her, and fifty years later she is back in Forks with her family. They've formed a band; Tourniquet. An ironic name, to be sure, seeing as they're all vampires...

Notes:

9. Edward

I was right…well, in a sense. Saying that Andre wasn’t happy was an understatement. He was flaming pissed. I had to put one of my shields around him to stop him from killing Edward – well, to stop him from trying to kill him. Amazingly, it wasn’t Emma who managed to get the point through his thick skull that I was finally happy. It was quiet little Michelle.

“Dre, listen to me,” she ordered sharply, surprising all of us. I was shocked, actually. I had never heard Michelle raise her voice. “Stop being such an ass and just listen to what Bella wants to tell you.” I shook my head slightly.

“Just what you told him. To stop being such an ass,” I clarified, scowling at Andre. He sighed and sank to sit cross-legged on the floor, folding his arms and glaring up at me. I smiled and removed the shield without moving. He wouldn’t know until he tried to move that I had freed him. Michelle knew I had removed it, however, and placed a hand on Andre’s arm lightly.

“She's not in pain anymore, Dre,” she whispered, so softly I didn’t think I was supposed to have heard it. “There's not a trace of it. Just look at her. She's happy, for a change.” Andre glanced up at me, and then sighed.

“Fine. But I'm warning you, Edward,” he added. “If you hurt her again, I'm going to hunt you down.” Edward grinned, although I could see the echo of pain in his eyes.

“If I hurt her again, I'd be asking you to kill me,” he murmured, and all was silent for a long moment before it was interrupted by a slight squeal from Alice.

Edward instantly spun a glare on her.

“Don’t you dare say a word about it, Alice,” he growled, and I elbowed him in the stomach.

“What?” I demanded, but Alice sighed and shook her head slowly.

“You'll find out soon enough,” she told me, before changing the subject. “So when are you going to play that new song for Bella, Edward?” she asked. Edward sighed and rolled his eyes as Emmett said something to Rosalie and snickered.

“It's not finished yet, Alice, and you know it.” Alice shrugged and turned to me.

“Why don’t you play something then, Bella? You're such a good singer!” I grinned, an idea coming to me. I shielded Alice’s mind so Edward couldn’t read what she would see, and then made up my mind. Alice’s grin widened.

“Oh, that's a good choice!” she squealed, giggling. “You'll have to shield the rest of us, though, or Edward will find out what song it is!”

“So the others all know it?” I asked. Emma grinned widely, and hauled Andre and the others to their feet to drag them off to get our instruments. Alice laughed again.

“They do! They’ll recognise the opening,” she told me, and I shielded all their minds before pulling away from Edward slightly.

“Good. And Edward hasn’t heard it?”

“Nope,” Alice sang happily. “Go get the music for the others, Bella!” I nodded and dashed to my car, pulling the music from my binder and darting back into the house. I didn’t have any words on the music, so when a curious, frustrated Edward looked through he didn’t know what it was called. I grinned at Alice as my family came back with our equipment, my microphone included, and we set up swiftly.

“Bella, this one doesn’t have a title,” Lee complained. I smiled cheekily.

“I know. You'll guess it soon enough, though,” I assured him, setting up my microphone although it was switched off. I just felt better, more comfortable with a microphone there. I smiled at the Cullens, complete with a confused and frustrated Edward, and then nodded at Lee for him to start the song. By the time I started the first verse, all the Cullens – bar one perfect individual – were grinning widely. Emmett looked like he was about to burst into laughter at any moment, and even Rosalie was smiling wider than I had ever seen her do.

“I tried to tell myself he got a good impressionI tried to make myself ask him one simple questionBut I did not know how he felt, it wasn't easySo I let him slip, I let him slip awayBut did he know…did he know…Did he know that he was the only one I noticed?”

I grinned widely as Jasper and Emmett burst into howls of laughter. Rosalie was doubled over by Alice, both of them laughing. Esme and Carlisle were clinging to each other to remain upright. All this I processed in less than a second before continuing into the chorus.

“Did Edward know I wanted him badI just couldn't show the feelings I hadDid Edward see in me what I saw in him'Cause it was everything, it was everything…”

I was trying so hard not to laugh. Edward looked so embarrassed. Jasper and Emmett were still laughing, but I was certain they could still all hear me.

“When summer came, I knew that it was surely overWe'd graduate & I wouldn't find a four leaf cloverAnd if he wanted me the same way that I wanted himThere was no, there was no indicationBut did he know…did he know…Did he know that he was the only boy I needed?

Did Edward know I wanted him badI just couldn't show the feelings I hadDid Edward see in me what I saw in him'Cause it was everything, it was everything

Don't know why I couldn't tell himMust've been way too afraidNow he's gone, I'll never see himAnd I'll never say what I needed to say

When I noticed him looking in my directionWas it just a figment of my imaginationI'd like to think the reason he never talked to meWas a tragic case of the butterflies I couldn't see

Did Edward know I wanted him badI just couldn't show the feelings I hadDid Edward see in me what I saw in him'Cause it was everything, it was everything…”

I started to laugh as the song finished, and then my family were all laughing too. Edward was on the floor, his head buried in his hands and hidden by his knees. I turned to Jasper for an opinion.

“Is he embarrassed?” I asked. Jasper managed to control his laughter to reply.

“Yes!” he gasped. “If he could blush, he would be redder than you ever went, Bella! You're evil!” I grinned.

“I know,” I sang happily. “And don’t you all love me for it?”

Later, when Emmett and Jasper had finally recovered along with the rest of the Cullens and my family, I apologised quietly to Edward for embarrassing him in front of his family. He shrugged it off easily, laughing.

“Just you wait to see what I've got in mind for you,” he teased, and I grinned widely.